Means for cutting gears



Dec. 9, 1952 A. w. KLOMP MEANS FOR CUTTING GEARS '2 SI-lEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 2, 1946 Q INVENTOR. ALFRED WALD/WP ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1952 A. w. KLOMP MEANS FOR CUTTING GEARS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 2, 1946 INVENTOR ALFREQ \M KLUMF' z A TToRaEv Patented Dec. 9, 1952 MEANS FOR CUTTING GEARS Alfred W. ZKlomp, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Process Gear and Machine '00., Detroit, Mich.

Application March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,601

2 Claims.

"The invention herein relates generally to the art of gears, sprockets, shapes and toothed members such as splines, etc., and in particular to anew, novel and useful tool for cutting gears and the like and the method of using same to generate teeth and shapes.

The tool has'a cutting face and a shank with the cutting face of truncated conic section and the shank being formed by the face ascending inl a helix about the tool's axis-of rotation. When the tool is rotated, it revolves about its own longitudi-nal axis rotating the cutting face in a circlewhich forms a tr'un'c'ated'cone like cutting area. 7

An object of the invention is'to provide a gear cutting or generating tool that has a cutting face 'capable' of retaining its form and dimension when worn or ground back long the helical shank.

Another'object is to provide-a gear cutting or generating tool that can-be used and sharpened until it is consumed which eliminates waste in high speed steel.

A further object is to provide a tool and a method of using same wherein the tool will generate the tooth form.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the basic rack;

Fig. 2 shows a basic rack working with a gear;

Fig. 3 shows the action between one tooth of a basic rack and a gear blank; v

Fig. 4 is a view of the tool itself; and

Fig. '5 is' a'perspective view of the tool mounted in a machine for generating teeth.

In making a gearit'is necessary to'give the gear a useful tooth and the art has developed several systems of teeth among which are the cycloidal, segmental, involute and parabolic.

The involute system is herein referred to for purposes of explanation and illustration as it embodies the simplest and best tooth curve, theoretically, as well as being one, of the greatest practical use in gearing. It is not intended to limit the use of the tool to this one system as the tool is adaptable to the other systems as well.

When'a basic rack is used to cut a tooth in a gear, it generates the tooth as it forms a surface on the workpiece that is not the complement of the racks tooth surface, but conjugate to it. The term generate is herein used in such a sense.

As the cutting face conic section in shape,

tool in conjunction with a of the tool herein is of and as it cuts on a conju'gate curve, it generates the teeth as it forms a surface on the work that is neither the complement nor the equal of the cutting face.

In adapting the tool to the involute system, the conic section formed by the cutting face is approximately equal to one half of the conic section formed by a basic rack tooth. As the cutting face of the tool rotates in a circle, the tool is equal to a whole basic rack tooth as is hereinafter more fully described. The tool cuts on a single line of obliquity, the same as a basic rack tooth.

Tool I0, Figs. 1 and 4, has cutting face ll of truncated conic section approximately equal to one half of basic rack tooth I3 and which bears shoulder I6. The face II ascends in helix l2 which forms the shank of the tool II! with the shoulder I6 providing an area along the shank for holding the tool I!) in a holder, chuck or collet. The tool I0, revolves about its own longitudinal axis A-A with the face I! changing from position X to Y, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and covering all points therebetween which gives the face II a cutting circle equal to a whole tooth l3 of basic rack I4.

Gear I5, Fig. 2, is shown in working relation with the basic rack l4. The teeth I3 of the rack l4 mesh and work with teeth ll of the gear l5 and are shaded to illustrate the cutting arcs of the face ll of the tool II) when the tool ll rotates about the axis A-A. This illustrates the action between the tool I0 and a gear I5.

The basic rack tooth l3, Fig. 3, is shaded to represent the cutting. arcs of the face ll of the tool Ill and illustrates the action between one tooth I3 of a rack [4 in working relation to a gear I5. It can be seen that the positions C-I, C 2 and C-3 of Figs. 1 and 2 are identical in action relative to a rack tooth I3 working with a gear T5 with the axis of the gear [5 moving back and forth in the plane BB. It can also be seen that the cutting arcs of the face II are equal to a whole tooth l3 of a rack I4. Thus the tool I0 is capable of working with a gear I5 as a rack tooth [3 equivalent.

The tool [0, Fig. 4 is shown with a quick helix for strength purposes in the shank thereof as the helix of the face I I winds upon itself thereby providing more material in the shank.

The tool I0, Fig. 5, is mounted in holder 20 which is in turn mounted in rotary head 2| of a machine, not shown. When the head 2| rotates the tool I0 is rotated about its axis A--A and the face ll, describes an are as previously mentioned in relation to Figs. 2 and 3.

Gear blank 23 is mounted on spindle 24 which is journaled in member 25. Also mounted on the spindle 24 is the master gear I5 which works with the stationary basic rack l4, equipped with the teeth [3. The member 25 is adapted to move on slide 32 in a horizontal plane B-B preferably positioned at right angles to the vertical axis AA of the tool It. Spring 33 holds the rack It in fixed relation to the gear 15.

Lever arm 29 is connected to the member 25 by connecting arm 39 and bolts 31 and is anchored by stud 34. By moving the lever 29 back and forth, the axis of the member 25 is moved in the horizontal plane B-B which is the same as the plane BB of Figs. 2 and 3. As the rack I4 is stationary, the gear rotates the spindle which in turn rotates the gear blank 23 as the spindle 24% is jcurnaled in the member 25 and moves with member 25 in the plane B-B. This action moves the gear blank 23 through the positions C!, 0-2 and (5-3 as illustrated in Figs.

2 and 3 and through all positions in between the illustrated positions as the gear blank 23 is mounted on spindle 25-. Thus the movement of the gear blank 23 is a rocking motion, when the member 25 is moved back and forth.

The slide 32 is adapted to move in a horizontal plane 9-0 by conventional means, not shown, which allows the fear blank 23 to be moved into the area of the cutting path of the tool 59 as the member 25 is positioned on the slide 32 and the spindle 24*, carrying the gear blank 23 is journaled in the member 25.

In action, the tool Iii and the lever 29 are powered with the tool 19 rotating and the gear blank 23 rocking about its axis and moving back and forth in the horizontal plane BB. The slide 32 is then advanced in the direction of the rotating tool 19 which causes the cutting face I! of the tool If] to come in contact with the gear blank 23 which cuts the slot 34 in the gear blank 23. After this slot is completely cut, the master gear 15 is advanced one tooth in relation to the rack M by lifting one end of the rack M by the handle 35 which positions the gear blank 23 for cutting another slot 39. This is facilitated by the spring 33. The action is repeated until slots 34 are cut all the way around the gear blank 23.

The action of the cutting circle of the tool 19 in relation to the gear blank 23 is the equivalent of the rack tooth l3 in relation to the master gear 15, with the slots 3% the equivalent of slots 36 and with the material between the slots 3 the equivalent of the teeth 5'! thereby forming the gear blank 23 into a gear.

The relation of the cutting tool and the gear blank in Fig. 5 can now be seen to be illustrated by the action of one tooth 13 in Fig. 3 in relation to a gear I5 which rotates on its axis in the plane B-B. Also it can be seen from Fig. 3 that the cutting edge of the tool cuts a greater space than the angle of the tools side makes with the base; with the result that the tool cuts a conjugate curve as it makes a greater cut in area in the work due to the action of the work rotating or rocking about an axis and moving in horizontal plane 13-13 in relation to the vertical axis A-A about which the tool it rotates.

Referring to Fig. 4, it can be seen that the cutting face I! of the tool It] ascends the helix I2 so that in sharpening the tool the proportion of the cutting face remains the same and that the tool can be used and sharpened along its entire length without changing the configuration of the cutting face I I.

For purposes of explanation, it is considered that the cut-ting face illustrated in the drawings is in a plane radially extending from the axis of the tool. However, the face may be ground above or below the axis of the tool and at an angle to the axis of the tool or both or concave or convex which will result in cutting faces of truncated conic sections as the shape of the helix E2 is conical. Other adaptations, omissions and substitutions can be made in connection with this invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims such as causing'the head 2| to move in a horizontal plane while the member 25 is stationary.

I claim:

1. A gear generating tool adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis including, a spiral land and a spiral conical section extending from the outer edge at one side of the spiral land toward the center of the tool and terminating substantially at the longitudinal axis of the tool, and a sharpened face at the end of the tool extendin in a plane radially and longitudinally to the axis of said tool and in the area of said spiral land and said conical section to thereby form a cutting edge at the end of the tool and the conical section.

2. A gear generating tool adapted to be r0- tated about its longitudinal axis including, a spiral land and a spiral conical section extending from the outer edge at one side of the spiral land toward the center of the tool and terminating substantially at the longitudinal axis of the tool, and a sharpened face at the end of the tool extending in a plane radially and longitudinally to the axis of said tool and in the area of said conical section to thereby form a cutting edge at the end of the tool and the conical section. ALFRED W. KL'OMP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 49,331 James Sept. 12, 1865 739,537 Francis Sept. 22, 1903 1,631,641 Montstream June '7, 1927 1,680,258 Schurr Aug. 7, 1928 1,935,555 Gorton Nov. 14, 1933 1,983,019 De Leeuw Dec. 4, 1934 2,129,417 Case Sept; 6, 1938 2,333,156 Dougherty Nov. 2, 1943 2,344,323 Pelphrey Mar. 14, 1944 2,349,959 Guetzkow May 30, 1944 2,377,329 Dettmer June 5, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 144,065 Switzerland Mar. 2, 1931 

